The subject matter disclosed herein relates to gas turbines, and, more specifically, to cover plates for gas turbine blades.
In general, gas turbine engines combust a mixture of compressed air and fuel to produce hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases apply force to the blades in a turbine, which rotate a shaft coupled to the blades. The rotation of the shaft may generate power for a load and/or compressor. The gas turbine environment subjects the turbine blades to high temperatures, which may lead to thermal stresses, wear, and/or cracks in the turbine blades. As such, the turbine blades may be a life-limiting component of the gas turbine engine. Specifically, particular regions of the turbine blades may be life-limiting regions. These life-limiting regions may degrade prior to the majority of the blade, resulting in costly blade replacements and turbine down time.